Cray Wanderers U23s vs Croydon U23s
SCEFL Development League West – Friday 17th January – Match Report
Cray Wanderers 4
Ihiedi 33, 48, Damyanov 66, Tano 74
Croydon 2
Cray Wanderers U23s returned to the top of SCEFL Development League West after another excellent performance to beat a talented Croydon side at Flamingo Park.
Cray were looking to build on the 4-2 win against Tunbridge Wells last Friday and with another game at Glebe on Monday evening were looking to take over from Erith Town at the top of the table.
The teams had met at Croydon on 13th November with Cray winning 2-0 but the feeling was that the Trams would pose a real challenge but Cray rose to the occasion to go 4-0 up before Croydon pulled a couple back in the last ten minutes.
The game was keenly contested and very well refereed and it turned out to be a great game between two good footballing sides.
The match was fairly even for the first twenty minutes with Michael Ihiedi firing in an early shot from distance which went into the arms of the Croydon keeper.
Croydon played some fine possession football but the game began to open up and from a free kick, Corey Holden’s shot was well held by the keeper. Then shortly after down the right, Ihiedi fired into the side netting.
Croydon did come close to scoring when the no 4 down the left hoisted a cross to the far post which was glanced on to the no 11 who poked a shot wide of the left post.
On the half hour Tom Borders for Cray dinked a clever shot towards goal from twenty yards but the keeper got a good hand to the ball to turn it round the post for a corner. Then, Ihedi curled a cross-shot wide of the left post.
In the 33rd minute Cray took the lead when the impressive Victor Damyanov down the left of the area saw a shot pushed out by the keeper and fell invitingly to Iheidi to fire into an empty net.
From here Cray ended the half on top and could have added more goals when firstly Borders was put through on goal but poked the ball wide of the left post.
Then Damyanov floated a ball into the box for Borders whose first shot was well saved and did even better to beat away a follow up shot and Cray led 1-0 at the break.
HT: 1-0
The second half was for the entirety end to end but Cray got off to a great start with a second goal three minutes after the restart when the ball was worked down the right and eventually came to Ihiedi who hit a clever strike which may have been slightly deflected and hit the back of the net.
Shortly after David Boateng shot over for Cray but Croydon were still in the game and the no 18 saw a shot deflected behind for a corner.
For Cray, Iheidi set up Damyanov for a shot held by the keeper and at the other end the no 7 who had very quick feet strode from midfield and saw a shot fingertipped round the right post by Nathan Manwaring.
Croydon threatened a comeback and the no 9 had a good chance down the left of the area and shot into the side net and then the striker was denied by a fine block by Lincoln Hunter. For Cray, Oliver Chiriseri saw a shot saved from inside the D..
In the 66th minute Cray scored a third goal when Damyanov who scored twice when the teams met in November broke forward and hit a dipping shot which gave the keeper no chance.
Cray came close again when Borders clipped a shot towards goal which was saved but in the 74th minute went 4-0 up with another quality goal scored by substitute Issac Tano who had only been on the pitch a few minutes. Tano cut inside from the right and fired a shot in off the underside of the crossbar.
Croydon to their credit kept at it and in the 82nd minute pulled a goal back when from a corner down the right, the cross from the no 4 to the far post was met by a firm header from the no 9 which went in off the right post.
Shortly after the no 9 saw another effort cleared off the line by Hunter but in the 87th minute Croydon scored again when the no 8 saw a shot from outside the area go into the net at the left post through a crowd of players.
In the end though Cray saw out the remaining minutes to pick up another three points to move Roy Brooke’s side on to 28 points and top of the table and continue to play a fluid style of football, usually sound at the back and potent up front and this evening had to show a lot of steel and determination and deserved the win.
Cray next visit Glebe on Monday 20th January with the next home game on Friday 31st January vs 3rd placed Kent United.
Cray Wanderers: Nathan Manwaring, Andy Dzontoh, Corey Holden, Oliver Chiriseri, Ed Mare, Lincoln Hunter, Michael Ihiedi (Issac Tano), Freddie Warwick (Bobby Parks), Tom Borders (Tyreese Simpson-Knight), Victor Damyanov (Jaylen Bains), David Boateng (Uziel Bateki)
